


i'm a mess (but i'm the mess you wanted)

by craashintome



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl is scared, F/F, Fluff with Angst, I can't believe that Cheryl and Toni saved Riverdale, which is reasonable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-05 08:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14040537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craashintome/pseuds/craashintome
Summary: Toni cares about Cheryl. She really, truly does. But being kept in the shadows is starting to take its toll.





	1. Chapter 1

Toni had always believed the idea of love at first sight was a load of bullshit, but the way her stomach had twisted when she first laid eyes on a whirlwind with red hair and redder lips couldn’t be denied.

Sweet Pea had noticed, the asshole, and spent the next two weeks ribbing Toni until she threatened to throw his precious combat boots into Sweetwater River.

What Sweet Pea would say if he could see Toni now, sitting in a car that was probably worth more than the yearly salary of every Southsider combined and absentmindedly running her thumb over the knuckles of a girl whose last name was the closest thing Riverdale had to royalty.

Or rather, the name Blossom _was_ Riverdale royalty. The reveal of the patriarch of the family murdering his only son, being a drug kingpin, and then killing himself once discovered was bound to damage the pockets and reputation of any family.

Toni looked to the girl sitting in the driver’s seat, studying her face closely. Her eyes were closed, and her head was tilted back, presumably enjoying the soft music that trickled from the car speakers.

(Toni couldn’t help but hope the serene look on her face had something to do with the way she was touching her hand.)

On Toni’s first day at Riverdale High, Jughead had broken out of his brooding long enough to point out a girl with red hair and heels so high Toni had wondered how the girl managed to walk down the halls without falling.

“The girl who gave us that warm Northside welcome is Cheryl Blossom.” Jughead had muttered.

It took a lot to take Toni by surprise, but Jones had managed to. “ Blossom? The girl who…”

“Yeah.” Jughead’s scowl carved deeper into his face. “Don’t be fooled, pity will only get you so far. Cheryl may have had some shitty things happen to her lately, but frankly, that doesn’t change the fact that she has a block of ice for a heart.”

Toni tried to image that now, believing that the girl next to her was made of ice when she was so clearly the sun. Her red hair was pulled into a rare ponytail, and her plush lips were slightly upturned. She was wearing a soft, thick knit white sweater and Toni was fairly certain that if angels existed, they must be modeled after Cheryl Blossom.

“What?” Cheryl said, eyes now open. “Entranced by my beauty? That is to be expected. I _am_ exceptional.”

“Yes, actually.” 

The teasing smile fell from Cheryl’s face, and her expression melted into something softer. “I guess the same could be said about you.”

Toni reached over to trace her fingers along Cheryl’s jaw. The eagerness with which Cheryl always received her touch surprised Toni as much as it saddened her. Cheryl greedily drank in any affection given to her. Since the moment Toni had realized that, she always found a way to be touching Cheryl.

Lingering looks in the hall. A brief squeeze of hands before parting for the next class. Feet knocking into each other underneath a desk. Absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair between fingers during lunch. Waiting for the school to clear out before arms wrap around a waist while sitting on a motorcycle. A face buried into the crook of a neck after passing out on a fading couch. Bodies tangled together between silk sheets and hushed voices.

“I wish we could stay like this.” Cheryl’s voice broke Toni out of her thoughts.

“Like what?”

“Like _this_ . You and me, listening to music in my car and watching the world go by. Just the two of us.” Cheryl’s voice faltered. “Alone _._ ”

Toni sighed. “I know.” She intertwined her fingers with Cheryl’s.

“This is the only time I ever get to see you.” Cheryl pouted. “I hate it.”

A moment passed before Toni spoke. “If we...I know we’ve talked about this before, but what if we...only at school, I mean-”

“You don’t think I want that?” Cheryl said, sounding tired.

Toni hunched her shoulders. “Sometimes I have to wonder.”

Cheryl turned to face her, a stricken look on her face. “Don’t wonder. God, you shouldn’t have to wonder, Toni. _Of course_ I want that. More than anything.”

“Then what’s stopping you? I’m not saying announce it to the damn world, or even the town. Just the inner circle, babe.”

Cheryl laughed without humour. “The inner circle? Veronica, _Betty_ , and fucking Bert and Ernie?”

“Yeah. And Sweet Pea and Fangs. Maybe Kevin, he’d understand the most.”

“Those people are loyal to you, not me. Betty Cooper is more likely to use this against me than she is to run down the halls of Riverdale High waving a pink, purple, and blue flag.”

Toni’s eyes hardened. It had taken Cheryl the entire night to convince Toni not to march over to the Cooper house and run over Betty with her bike after she learned about the whole blackmail situation.

Jughead, on the other hand, hadn’t been spared from Toni’s wrath. He still wasn’t sure why Toni gave him a black eye the second he stepped into the Whyte Worm one night, but at least he had the sense to avoid Toni until she cooled off.

“Don’t worry about that.” Toni said, jaw clenched. “I can more than handle _Betty Cooper_.”

Cheryl laughed lightly. “My hero. I hate to tell you this, but you really are not as intimidating as you think you are.”

“Excuse me?” Toni’s eyebrows raised. “I’m a Southside Serpent. I participated in _carving a tattoo_ off a woman’s _body_. I am the definition of intimidating.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Topaz. You could tell me you joined a Satanic cult and I would still think of you as the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

“ _Adorable_.”   
  
“Hmm. Cuter than kitten stuck in a tissue box.”

“Fuck you, Blossom.”

“Not right now, it would wrinkle my skirt.”

Toni’s jaw slacked as the joking mood evaporated.

“God, you’re thirsty.” Cheryl teased, but her voice was oddly thick. “Last I checked, you aren’t a red haired version of Troy Bolton, and my father was a drug dealer, not a cliche mafia boss.”

Toni’s face wrinkled in disgust. “Ugh. You know I caught them screwing in the rec room the other day? I didn’t think I would ever be able to have sex again.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be able to...with the right motivation, at least.”

“You can’t say stuff like that, or your skirt will be more than wrinkled.”

Cheryl's mouth quirked up. She leaned over, kissing Toni gently. “Later, I promise.”

“Tease.”

“When have I ever claimed to be anything else?”

Toni playfully pouted and crossed her arms.

Cheryl’s ensuing laughter was enough to break Toni out of her mock sullenness and join in.

Her hand ached for her camera as she took in the way Cheryl threw her head back when she laughed, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. How would anyone believe that Cheryl Blossom could look so damn carefree and happy unless Toni took a photo as proof?

But all good things had to come to an end. The glow on Cheryl’s face slowly morphed into something darker as the clock ticked.

“It’s almost time to go.” Cheryl said, sounding detached.

Toni couldn’t stand when Cheryl sounded like that. It was like a different person was speaking. Her mouth was moving and sound came out, but Toni wouldn’t have believed it was Cheryl speaking if she wasn’t watching it happen.

“You can always come stay with me.” Toni offered. “My uncle probably wouldn’t even notice.”

“But Mother would.”

“Maybe not.”

“Without a question she would. After all, how would she fill the hours she spends without a _gentleman caller_ if I wasn’t there for her to torture?” Cheryl said, laughing weakly.

Toni clenched her jaw. “If you would let me get a few people together, I’m sure we could _persuade_ her into leaving you the fuck alone.”

“No.”

“It wouldn’t be the entire Whyte Wyrm. Just Sweat Pea, Fangs, maybe even Hot Dog.”

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. “Are the Serpents allergic to normal names? Every time I think the names can’t get anymore ridiculous, they do.”

“Excuse me, but Toni is a perfectly normal name.”

“Maybe _Toni_ is. But your name is _Toni Topaz_. “

“And?”

“Don't misunderstand, I adore the name Topaz, but _Toni Topaz_? It’s alliterative. Similar to Peter Parker, or Clark Kent, both of comic book fame. Your name implies you should be able to lift a car with your pinky finger.”

“Never took you for a geek, Blossom. You sound like Kevin. Should I text him and ask for the details of his next Dungeons and Dragons campaign?”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Do not compare me to Kurt Hummel. I simply have a healthy appreciation for popular culture.”

“Say what you want, but I saw that collection of manga in the back of your closet.”

“Those were Jason’s!”

Toni reached over and playfully tugged on a lock of Cheryl’s hair. “Hmm. Sure. Was that Jason’s _Sailor Moon_ wand I saw in your dresser as well?”

“Are you aware that you are quite possibly the most annoying person in Riverdale? And that is including the Scooby Gang.”

“And yet, you still want to be around me. I’m touched.”

“Don’t make me reconsider that, Topaz.” Cheryl threatened.

“Please. You couldn’t go twenty-four hours without seeing me.” Toni said smugly.

Cheryl reached over and put the car in gear, pulling out of the dirt lot that looked over the town. “It’s not that I _couldn’t_. A more accurate word would be _wouldn’t_.”

The flush of red that Toni felt underneath her cheeks seemed to appease Cheryl.

The drive back to the school grew quieter the closer the car got. It was a routine they were used to, but neither one of them looked forward to it. Toni’s bike was left in the Riverdale High parking lot for hours most days after school. It would be impossible to be inconspicuous on the bike, where everyone could see Cheryl on the back.

 _Inconspicuous_.

Cheryl used that word so often that Toni wanted to obliterate it from every dictionary in existence. She would whisper it to her everytime Toni would absentmindedly reach for Cheryl’s hand in the hallways. Would smile slightly as she mouthed the word whenever she caught Toni staring at her during class. One time she had hissed it because Toni had forgotten where they were and had hugged Cheryl from behind in the rec room.

(Cheryl had apologized profusely in the bathroom twenty minutes later. Toni wanted to be a little pissed, but Cheryl’s eyes had watered and her bottom lip trembled. Her irritation evaporated and was replaced with a deep need to comfort her girlfriend.)

Keeping their relationship a secret was important to Cheryl, and Toni couldn’t find it in her to be angry about it. After all the Cheryl had been through, the last thing she needed was to be rushed into being open about caring for another person. Especially when that person was a Serpent. Especially when that person was a girl.

Of course, not being angry about being kept a secret didn’t mean that it didn’t make Toni’s insides twist into a painful ball whenever Cheryl pretended she didn’t even know Toni’s name.

Cheryl would always make it up to her the moment they were alone, but Toni had to wonder when the ache in her chest that came from being a secret would stop threatening to swallow her whole.

“Toni?”

Cheryl sounded so vulnerable Toni was certain the River Vixens would die from shock if they had heard her.

“Yeah?”

“It’s time.”

Toni realized with a jolt that they were already in the Riverdale High parking lot. Toni’s bike wasn’t in sight; she had parked it in the smaller side lot.

She cursed herself silently. She’d spent so much time thinking about Cheryl she hadn’t enjoyed being with Cheryl for the ride back.

“Okay.” Toni let out an audible sigh and got out of the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be counting the minutes.”

Leaning into the open car door slightly, Toni felt herself grin. “And I the seconds.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Not everything is a competition, Topaz.”

“Maybe not. But if it was, I would win.”

Toni closed the door before Cheryl could shoot back. She could only imagine how much her girl must be fuming. Cheryl lived for getting the last word.

She rounded the corner to her bike, and drove to the trailer park on autopilot. She’d made the drive so many times she could have kept her eyes closed the whole way and made it back with time to spare.

Toni reached for the handle to her trailer’s door. It was locked. Her bastard of an uncle must be in a mood.

Whatever. Safer for her to not be in the trailer anyway if that was the case.

The Jones’s trailer was only a walk away, after all. Toni was pretty sure Jughead had gotten over the black eye incident.


	2. Chapter 2

Jughead had grumbled a bit when he first saw her, but softened when Toni explained she had been locked out again.

He made her (burned) bacon and eggs, which she was fairly certain was the only food in the trailer that wasn’t completely processed. She teased him lightly, which he knew was her way of saying thank you. They ate in relative silence, making short remarks on the upcoming issue of _The Blue and Gold_ every now and then.

Toni had been slacking on her duties as the resident photographer, and she couldn’t explain the reason why was because recently she had used up all her film taking photos of a red haired wonder. Cheryl had offered to buy her more, but Toni refused. Technically it wasn’t charity if it came from her girlfriend, as Cheryl had pointed out on numerous occasions, but it didn’t sit right with Toni. Too many people had taken advantage of Cheryl’s wealth. Toni couldn’t bring herself to accept anything that she couldn’t buy herself.

“I’ll take the couch.” Jughead said, getting up from a kitchen chair. “Give me a minute, I’ll change my sheets for you.”

Normally Toni refused whenever he offered her his bed, but today she wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

“Okay.”

Jughead shot her a confused look at the lack of fight in her voice, but didn’t confront her about it.

Toni sat up and began clearing the dishes. She tried to clean the mess they had made as quietly as possible. FP wouldn’t care about Toni staying over, but that didn’t mean she would be a bad guest. Toni didn’t take things without giving something in return. He and Jughead still hadn’t figured out that it was her who had cleaned out their pantry.

(It was disgusting. Toni was certain that they hadn’t touched it since Jughead’s mom and sister had left.)

She padded down the short hallway into Jughead’s tiny room. There was just enough space to squeeze in a single bed and a desk. All remaining space was dedicated to towers of books. Mostly true crime, which Toni could appreciate. The only thing in the room that deviated from the rest was a cracked picture frame with an old photo of young Jughead and Archie. Even then, Archie had towered over him. The sight of little Jughead with his signature scowl never failed to bring a smile to Toni’s face.

Toni leaned against the door frame, watching in amusement as Jughead tried to put on a new fitted sheet with little success.

“A little help, please?” He muttered.

“Here, hold this end down.” Toni took an edge and pulled it down.

“So,” Jughead grunted, still struggling. “Why’d you ditch the newspaper meeting this afternoon?”

“Had something else on.”

“This is the fourth time in the last two weeks you’ve ‘had something else on’, Toni.”

Toni refused to look up, but she could feel his eyes on her. “Paying a lot of attention to me, huh, Jones? Should Betty be worried?”

“You’re deflecting.”

“And you aren’t a shrink.”

“Is something wrong?” Jughead finally got the last corner. “Is it something with the Serpents? Is my dad not telling me something?”

“Jesus, Jones.” Toni huffed. “No. It’s nothing to do with the Serpents. If it were, I would tell you.”

“But something is wrong?”

Toni glared at him. “Nothing is wrong, got it?”

“Okay, sorry.” Jughead handed her one side of the comforter. “You can tell me about what you're doing, though. We are friends.”

“I know, Jug. Trust me. It’s nothing you need to know. Not yet, anyway.”

Jughead nodded. “You know where my shirts are. Feel free to grab one. That-” He gestured to the lace blouse she wore, “can’t be comfortable.”

“Got it.”

He slipped out of the room, probably to go type up his suspicions for his novel. God, he was predictable.

But, as much as Jughead could aggravate her, he was a good friend. He never seriously complained about housing Toni on nights like this.

Before him, Toni would usually go to Sweet Pea’s. Sweets would let her in without a word, but Toni knew there really wasn’t any room for her. She would try to make it up to him by playing with his younger siblings, but his trailer was too small to be able to accommodate another body.

Toni climbed into Jughead’s tiny bed, nestling under the covers. She wondered briefly what Cheryl would say if she witnessed Toni sleeping in Jughead’s bed while wearing his shirt, despite how completely innocent it was. 

Staring up at the ceiling, Toni counted the fading glow in the dark stars. Jughead insisted that they were there for his sister Jellybean’s sake, but something told Toni that wasn’t the case. Jughead acted like he was a jaded middle-aged man, but deep down he was still a little kid at heart.

She fell asleep like that, wondering if there was anyone left in Riverdale whose childhood hadn’t been taken from them.

* * *

 Toni slipped out of bed quietly. The morning had come far too quickly. She considered making the bed, but decided it didn’t matter. Jughead would be replacing the sheets anyway.

She padded down the hallway and made her way into the kitchen. She dug up some flour, sugar, and eggs. FP didn’t care that she slept over every now and then, but making pancakes to butter him up wouldn’t hurt.

Toni was almost done mixing the batter when she heard a chuckle from behind her.

“Jesus!” Toni jumped, clutching her chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Morning, Toni.” The corners of FP’s mouth quirked up. “That’s a nice shirt. Familiar.”

“Yeah, it’s Jug’s.” She said, trying to sound nonchalant. Toni sent up a prayer that this conversation wasn’t going where she thought it was.

“Hmm. Thought so. Was it you I heard coming out from his room earlier?” FP waggled his eyebrows playfully. He acted more like a teenager than Jughead sometimes.

“Yeah. Jughead’s on the couch.”  
  
“He is?” FP let out a low whistle. “Damn. I was looking forward to seeing you and Betty duke it out.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Never gonna happen. At least, not over _Jughead_.”

“That mean there is something you and Betty would duke it out over?”

The pan gave a sharp hiss as Toni poured the pancake mix into it. “Let’s just say I’ve been talked out of physical violence.”

FP snickered and shook his head back and forth. “Don’t go too hard on the girl. Jug would be pissed at you, and then at me for not stopping you.”

“Why would I be pissed at the both of you?” Jughead called from the couch, his words slurring together.

“God, don’t be such a snoop.” Toni yelled back. “You want butter or no butter?”

Jughead slumped into the kitchen, yawning and scratching the back of his head. “Butter. Do you even know me?”

Toni shoved a plate of pancakes in front of him. “Take it, you ungrateful motherfucker.”

“Whoa.” FP raised an eyebrow, taking a few pancakes for himself. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“You should talk, Dad.” Jughead snorted, mouth stuffed with pancakes. “You used to tell the referee at my elementary soccer games that he was a ‘son of a bitch who should go fuck himself’ whenever he made a call against my team.”

“That’s different, isn’t it?” FP shot back. “That fucker was being unfair to my boy.”

“Exactly. And this fucker is being ungrateful about my pancakes.” Toni waved the spatula at him.

FP threw his hands up in the air. “Okay. I give in. Uncle. Mercy. Damn teenagers.”

“These are good, Toni.” Jughead said.

“They better be.” Toni began cleaning up the mess she had made. “I woke up at an ungodly hour to make them.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.”

FP joined Toni at the sink and began drying as she washed.

“You kids should get out of here as soon as we finish up.” FP warned. “I don’t want to hear you were late for school.”

“We’ll be there with time to spare, Dad.”

FP narrowed his eyes at Jughead. “You better. And get over here. You ate more than the rest of us.”

Jughead rolled his eyes but started to put the dishes away. Within no time, the kitchen looked presentable again.

Toni and Jughead waved FP goodbye and made it out of the trailer. They playfully tried to knock each other over as they made their way to their bikes.

“Race you?” Toni called.

Jughead shook his head, smiling. “I can’t afford a ticket, and I know for a fact you can’t either.”

“Killjoy.”

He revved his engine in response before tearing out into the road. Toni followed grudgingly behind him.

This was her favourite time of day. Nothing cleared her mind like driving recklessly fast. Toni was even fond of the way the wind stinged her face.

The first time Cheryl had ever driven with Toni, she had nearly thrown a fit. Toni had been going more carefully than usual, but that didn’t stop Cheryl from threatening to take her bike to the junkyard while she slept. Toni had managed to talk her down, and the next day a shiny new helmet was inside her locker.

Cheryl would probably already be at school by now. She liked to be there as early as possible. Toni couldn’t blame her. If she lived with Cruella deVille she would get up at four in order to leave by five thirty too.

Cheryl’s mother probably did own a collection of puppy skin coats. Toni didn’t like to call other women bitches, but in the case of Penelope Blossom the word was warranted.

(She couldn’t be sure Mrs. Blossom _was_ a woman. _Crocodile_ seemed more accurate.)

Toni had been holding out hope that the Northside students would stop gaping at the way the Serpent’s motorcycles swerved into the parking lot, but it had been nearly three months since the merge and it still happen every day.

As much as it got on her nerves, she couldn’t pretend she didn’t somewhat like the awed fear in their eyes when she walked down the hall. No one fucked with her here, even after she was banned from wearing her Serpent jacket. Being a known gang member tended to have that effect on people. Even the fucking Northside teachers avoided eye contact with her.

Sweet Pea smirked at her as he leaned against his bike nonchalantly. Jesus Christ, he was a dork.

“Topaz. Jones. What took you two so long?” Sweet Pea gave her look, and Toni groaned.

“Ugh, Sweet Pea, _no._ ” Toni grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “I have somewhere to be. See you guys later.”

“You aren’t fooling me, Topaz!” Sweet Pea hollered. “I know you’re banging somebody!”

Toni flipped him off without looking behind her.

She had someone to find.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait. term papers are a thing, and they take precedence over fics.

Toni leaned against the door frame of the abandoned music room casually, not wanting to make her presence known just yet.

Cheryl was sitting in an armchair turned slightly away from her, ducked over a sketchbook. She savoured the sight while she could. Cheryl almost never let Toni watch her draw, she said it was distracting.

God, Toni loved to watch, though. It was addictive, seeing the tension melt away from Cheryl’s body. Her shoulders were relaxed; her normally perfect posture absent. Not to mention the way she would always slightly bite her lip in concentration. It was the cutest goddamn thing Toni had ever seen.

But, the absolute best part was that sometimes, when she was in a good enough mood, Cheryl would sing to herself. Her voice was surprisingly low, but soft as butter. The songs varied so much that it took Toni by surprise every time she started a new one. Cheryl seemed to have a penchant for slow and soulful, though. One day she would be singing Julie London, the next Sam Smith.

Toni pushed off the door frame, but didn’t go to Cheryl. Instead, she made her way to the old piano on the other side of the room. Cheryl didn’t even look up, too engrossed in her drawing.

She settled down on the slightly rocky piano bench and stared at the keys. The piano had to have been there since her grandparents were in high school, but the pitch was still perfect.

In her old home, the one she lived in when her parents were still around, there was an old piano shoved into a corner. Her father had played, and Toni would stand next to him as he did, barely tall enough to see the keys.

He would let her sit on his lap on good days. On great days, he would walk through what he was playing for her. She would ask questions and try her best to imitate him, and he’d laugh with his whole body, causing her to nearly fall to the floor. Ruffling her hair, he would tell her that she had more talent in her finger than he did in his whole body.

Toni would cling to that on the bad days, when she had no choice but to hide under her bed and wait for the sound of crashing bottles to stop.

When she had joined the Serpents, the piano had been shoved to the back of her memory. Classical music and gangs didn’t mix.

Then again, neither should cherry blossoms and snakes, and yet Toni never felt right in the universe than when she was by Cheryl’s side.

She remembered that now, staring down at the gleaming keys. It had been a long time since she had found herself here. Had it been too long? What if she had forgotten how?

A single note rang out, followed quickly by another. Toni closed her eyes and let her hands do what they pleased. The song was familiar, she had learned it when she was small and had dreams bigger than Riverdale.

Toni felt a hand rest on her shoulder, but didn’t stop the song.

“Waltz of the Flowers?” Cheryl said, her voice hushed.

“Tchaikovsky.”

Cheryl sat down next to her on the bench, watching Toni’s hands fly across the piano.

“I know.” Cheryl leaned her head against Toni’s shoulder. “I used to dance. This was one of my favourites.”

Toni felt herself smile. “Mine too.”

They fell into silence, the only noise coming from Toni’s playing. The song slowly came to an end, but Toni kept her hands poised over the keys.

“Don’t stop.” Cheryl whispered.

“I don’t know what to play.” Toni admitted, embarrassed. “It’s been too long.”

Cheryl began to hum. At first, Toni thought it was mindless, but soon it became clear she was humming a song. _Clair de Lune_.

Fingers began to dance again, picking up where Cheryl had left off. She had always thought this piece was overplayed, but Cheryl had a way of making things sound new again.

“JJ used to play this.”

Toni looked up at her in surprise. “I can stop.”

“No. Don’t.” Cheryl spoke so quietly Toni had to strain to hear her. “I’ve missed it.”

The melody flooded the room, soft and sweet. Toni had played the song countless times, but now the notes were infused with emotion that had never been there before. It took over her whole body, and she was suddenly certain that there was nothing in the world that could pry her away from playing. Not with Cheryl there, bringing out the best parts of the music, making it sound richer than anything Toni had ever played.

Playing for herself was enjoyable, therapeutic even, but playing for the sake of someone else...

Toni only realized Cheryl was crying as she played the final notes. They were silent tears, streaming down her face while somehow leaving her make up perfectly intact.

“Cheryl? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m more than okay.” Cheryl said, voice shaky. “How long have you been playing?”

“Since I could reach the keys, I guess. My dad taught me.”

Cheryl brushed a lock of pink hair from Toni’s face. “Is that why I haven’t heard you play before? You never talk about him.”

“There isn’t really a whole lot of room for a piano in my uncle’s trailer.”

“We have one. In Thistlehouse. It used to be Jason’s. You should come over, play for me.”

“Cheryl…” Toni began softly. “You don’t have to do that. I know how much you treasure Jason’s things. I couldn’t-”

“JJ would have wanted you to, wholeheartedly.” Cheryl said firmly. “In fact, I imagine he’s furious with me that it has gone untouched for this long.”

Toni didn’t know what to say, so she leaned in.

Cheryl placed her hands on Toni’s shoulder’s, holding her in place. “We’re in school, Toni.”

“Right.” Toni turned back towards the piano, not meeting Cheryl’s eyes. “I forgot. Sorry.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, you know that, right?”

“Right.”

“Hey.” Cheryl cradled Toni’s face, turning it gently towards her. “Let’s do something tonight. We can drive out of town, go to a nice restaurant.”

Toni raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we go on a proper date?”  

“As much as I love our little backwoods trysts, I think I might also enjoy a nice, romantic dinner over candlelight.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Cheryl?”

Cheryl shot up from the bench quickly, whirling around to face the intruder.

Archie Andrews was blinking from the doorway, shifting his weight awkwardly and clutching his guitar. “Uh, hey, guys. How’s it going?”

“We are perfectly fine, Archie. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be wrapped up in Veronica’s tentacles right now?” Cheryl snapped.

Archie’s face turned redder than his hair. “Uh, Ronnie is helping Betty with a routine. Aren’t the Vixen’s going to Regional’s soon?”

“I’m glad those two are _finally_ taking their Vixen duties seriously. I don’t tolerate laziness on my squad.”

Toni let out a laugh, shaking her head. “You can be so ridiculous sometimes.”

“Excuse me for having high standards, TT. I accept the best, and only the best.”

Archie’s eyes were wide as they flicked between Cheryl and Toni. He looked on edge, waiting for an explosion that was never going to come.

“Um, well, I was hoping to get in some practice, if that’s alright with you guys.”

“All good, Andrews. I need to go anyway. As much as I’ve enjoyed whatever this is, I have a Swords and Serpents meeting to get to.”

Toni stood up from the bench and straightened her clothes. She leaned down to grab her bag, throwing it over her shoulder.

Archie cleared his throat, eyebrows knitting together. “Is that Jughead’s shirt?”

Toni cursed herself silently. She should have just worn her own dirty top. Jughead’s ‘S’ shirt was too noticeable.

“Yeah. It is.”

“Why are you wearing Jughead’s shirt?” Archie asked, his tone becoming slightly aggressive.

Toni rolled her eyes. “I’m not playing side chick to Betty Cooper, if that’s what you’re worried about, Andrews. Jughead just helped me out of a tight spot last night.”

Archie visibly relaxed, a sympathetic look taking over his face. “Oh. Well if-”

“If you would excuse me from this fascinating conversation, ragamuffins,” Cheryl pushed past Toni and Archie, heels clacking behind her. “I have things to do.” 

Cheryl’s voice was fucking _glacial_ , and it unnerved Toni so much to be on the receiving end of it that she couldn’t form a response. Within seconds, Toni was alone with Archie. The only sign of Cheryl’s presence was the vague scent of vanilla in the air.

Archie whirled his head around, staring in disbelief at the door that Cheryl had nearly taken off its hinges.

“Woah. What pissed her off?”

“No idea.” Toni slipped past him and avoided eye contact. “I need to get going, though. Enjoy your practice.”

She didn’t give Archie a chance to respond, taking off after her girl. Toni craned her neck, trying to spot a flash of red in the sea of high schoolers. Not for the first time, she cursed her small stature.  

Toni did a small leap as a last ditch effort, but there was still no sign of Cheryl. She sighed deeply before making her way towards the Swords and Serpents meeting.

* * *

 Morning classes passed painfully slowly. Advanced English Lit was the only class she had with Cheryl, and it was held last period.

She fiddled with her pencil all through second period, tapping the eraser rhythmically on the side of her desk. Betty and Veronica had both shot her annoyed looks, but Toni couldn’t bring herself to care.

Besides, Betty would glare at her even if she wasn’t making noise. Toni couldn’t shake the feeling that Betty hadn’t _quite_ gotten over her and Jughead’s little grope session.

(Not that it bothered her. Watching Betty Cooper try to be intimidating was amusing, if a bit cringey.)

Toni cursed Archie _fucking_ Andrews for the hundredth time in the past two hours under her breath. He had to open his big mouth, didn’t he?

She ducked her head and stared at her phone, silently willing for a message from Cheryl to pop up. Normally, Toni’s phone would be blowing up Cheryl’s endless stream of texts by now.

Toni was starting to miss the flood of emojis. She would settle for a damn thumbs up emoji at this point. Hell, even a fucking acronym she would have to look up on Urban Dictionary would be better than radio silence.

She resisted the urge to throw her phone out the window.

* * *

“Watch out.” Kevin hissed as he sat down in the rec room, eyes flitting towards the door. “Cheryl is on a _warpath_.”

“How bad?” Archie asked, the words somewhat garbled because his mouth was full.

“Remember the day she found out Jason was going out with Polly?” 

The room went silent, only broken by Betty muttering something under her breath.

“What was that?” Toni asked.

Betty shook her head, ponytail swaying. “God help us all.”

“You guys talking about Riverdale’s own Heather Chandler?” Jughead strode into the room, flopping down next to Betty and stealing one of her fries. “She nearly tore my head off last period. I haven’t seen her look at me like that since everyone found out about...y’know. My dad and Jason.”

“Any clue what set her off?” Veronica asked nonchalantly. She seemed to be the only one who wasn’t on edge.

Archie reached up and scratched the back of his next. “I don’t know. I saw her this morning. One second she was friendly...well, as friendly as Cheryl gets. The next she was storming off.”

“Weird.” Betty frowned. “Something had to have happened.”

“Not that I could see. Hey, Toni, you were with her before I came in. Did something happen then?”

Toni stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “No. She was fine. I need to go.”

“Toni-”

But she was already out the door. Jughead’s voice was getting quieter with each step.

She made her way out of the school, weaving around students with purpose. Toni threw open the front doors and stomped down the steps, looking determinately around the parking lot. She knew Cheryl well enough to know where she went when she didn’t want to be around other people.

Sweet Pea saw her from across the lot, leaving against his bike. He nudged Fangs and pointed out Toni before waving her over. Toni gave him a slight shake of her head, which he accepted with a small shrug.

Fangs moved to approach her, but Sweet Pea grabbed the back of his jacket.

Her combat boots scraped against the pavement as Toni trudged her way towards the cherry red convertible tucked behind a muddy truck.

She caught sight of Cheryl before Cheryl saw her. Her head was ducked, and Toni figured she was looking at her phone.

Cheryl’s head jerked up when Toni rapped on the window of the passengers seat. Cheryl bit her lip before moving over and unlocking the door, not looking at Toni.

The leather passenger seat was familiar, and Toni enjoyed how the smell of Cheryl’s perfume filled the car.

“Hey.” Toni was surprised by how soft her voice was. Hadn’t she spent the last few hours irritated at Cheryl? “What’s going on? Why weren’t you at lunch?”

“I didn’t realize you would care.”

Toni blinked, taken back. “What? Of course I care. You’re my girlfriend, Cheryl.”

“Then why, Toni, did I have to sit there and listen to you tell Archie Andrews that not only are you wearing _Jughead_ _Jones’s_ _shirt_ , but that you also _spent the fucking night_ with him yesterday?” Cheryl snapped. Her ice queen persona was in full effect.

“I did _not_ spend the night with Jughead, Cheryl. I slept at his place, but I didn’t have much of a choice. It was that or the Whyte Wyrm.”

“Really?” Cheryl arched a perfect eyebrow, lips pulled down in displeasure. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have-”

“Cheryl, we both know that wouldn’t have been a good idea.” Toni reached out and cupped Cheryl’s cheek. “If I wasn’t worried about what your mom would do to you, I would have.”

The fight leaked out of Cheryl, and her shoulders began to shake. She kept her head down, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was crying.

“I’m sorry, TT. I was going to come find you, really, I truly was. But, I-I overheard Archie confronting Jones about it. Did you two...Did you and Jughead ever…”

Toni swallowed. “Yes. Only once. It was the night he was initiated...we didn’t get very far, though.”

“Oh.” Cheryl whispered. She looked deflated, and it broke Toni’s heart.

“I don’t have feelings for Jughead, Cher. At all.” Toni spoke quickly, rushing to get the words out. “I don’t think I ever did. I was more interested in his potential for the Serpents than him himself.”

“But you two…” Cheryl trailed off, like it would hurt to finish the thought.

“Yeah.” Toni sighed. “It was before I even met you. You can't be mad about that.”

“That’s not what bothers me.”

Toni frowned. “Then why were you so pissed?”

“I don’t care that you and Jack Skellington had a _thing_.” Cheryl repeated. She refused to meet Toni's eyes, keeping her gaze firmly on the logo of her steering wheel."

“What _do_ you care about, then?”

Cheryl picked up Toni’s hand, playing with her fingers. “I care that people know about it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“People know that you and Jughead had something. They associate you two together. That...aggravates me.”

“Why does that bother you?” Toni couldn’t wrap her head around what Cheryl was trying to say.

“I don’t like that people assume you’re his. Even if he has Betty. I don’t want people to think of you two as a unit, even if it isn’t true.”

“Cheryl…” Toni sighed. “There isn’t anything I can do about that. Not unless you want to-”

“I don’t.”

“It would solve all of this, love. It would-”

“I said _no,_ Toni. Not now.” Cheryl hissed.

“Then when? Because it’s been three months. You keep saying _soon_ , but as far as I can see _soon_ is nowhere in sight.”

“I don’t want to-”

“And I don’t want to be your dirty little secret!” Toni snapped. She was surprised by the surge of emotion that wracked her body. Her eyes stung, and she reached up to brush away the stubborn tears.

“What do you want me to do about that?” Cheryl said, sounding tired.

“ _Let me tell our friends_. They would never say anything! Please, Cheryl. This isn’t healthy, all this sneaking around.”

Cheryl carefully arranged her features into a stoney expression. “This is all I have to give, Toni. If that’s not enough, I don’t know what else I can do for you.”

Toni clenched her jaw as she grabbed her bag, opening the car door.

“Where are you going?” Cheryl asked, eyes wide.

“I can’t do this right now. Call me when you can bear to look at me in public.”

“Toni-”

But Toni was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls don't kill me :))) 
> 
> I suggest going to watch the kiss scene to make yourself feel better until I get the next one up


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so,, i really did a number on you guys with that last chapter. 
> 
> am i sorry? a lil bit. do i regret it? nah.
> 
> i hope this one makes up for it, and thanks for supporting my ramblings
> 
> my tumblr is craashintome@tumblr.com if y'all wanna scream at me there ((#shameless self-promo))

Cheryl was accustomed to guilt.

For years, it felt like her constant state of being.

Guilt over accidently knocking Jason off a bunk bed when they were toddlers, resulting in a scar just under his collarbone. Guilt because she changed her grades on tests in elementary school to avoid her parent’s wrath. Guilt washing over her as she said nothing while her mother forced Heather’s family to move across the country.

More recently, she had been haunted by the guilt of Jason’s death. It kept her up at night, wondering what she could have done differently. If she hadn’t gone along with his plan, would her brother still be alive?

That familiar feeling of tightness in her chest paired with an anvil in her gut weighed on her as she sat in the driver’s seat of the car she drove Jason to his death in.

Toni was out of sight now, maybe permanently.

What a fucking mess.

She had managed to hurt the one person left in her life who didn’t deserve it.

The only person besides Jason that cared about Cheryl even when it was inconvenient.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the lunch period.

Cheryl reluctantly got out of the car, but not before fixing her makeup. Fight with Toni or not (God, she hated the word fight being associated with Toni), she had an image to uphold.

She risked a glance at the line of motorcycles on the other side of the parking lot. Sweet Pea and Fangs, along with a few other Serpents, were smoking next to them, but Toni was nowhere to be found.

(Cheryl thanked God everyday that even though he screwed her over in nearly every way possible, at least Toni wasn’t a smoker. She didn’t think she could handle the stress.)

The hallways of Riverdale High were clear. Cheryl was late for class for the first time in her life, but she found that she didn’t care. What could they do? Call her mother? Let them try. She’d probably be too busy with her latest scumbag to pick up the landline.

She wandered for a while until she found herself curled up on the couch of the rec room.

The bell for final period came and passed, but Cheryl didn’t move a muscle. She was like a statue, fixating on a square of peeling paint on the wall.

She remained in that state long after the dismissal bell.

“Cheryl?”

The first voice Cheryl had hear since her fight with Toni interrupted her personal version of purgatory.

Veronica kneeled down so she was face to face with her, but Cheryl refused to meet her gaze.

“Hey.” Veronica said gently. “What’s wrong?”

“I fucked up.”

Whatever Veronica had been expecting to hear, it wasn’t that.

“What? What are you talking about, Cheryl?”

Cheryl sunk lower into the couch. “I mean that I fucked up.”

She sat down next to Cheryl on the couch and rubbed soothing circles on her back. “I’m going to need you to describe ‘fucked up’.”

Cheryl brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I hurt somebody.”

“Um, Cheryl.” Veronica spoke tentatively, like she was trying to soothe a spooked animal. “You are going to have to go into a bit more detail. If this is a ‘I murdered somebody and need you to help me bleach the floor’ situation, I need to know before I agree to help.”

Cheryl gave Veronica a watery scowl.

Veronica sighed deeply. “Right. Not a joking matter. Who did you you hurt, then?”

Cheryl was silent for a long time. She glanced up at Veronica then studied the floor. Veronica opened her mouth to press further, but Cheryl interrupted her before she could.

“Toni.” Cheryl spoke. Her voice cracked against her will.

Veronica knit her eyebrows. “Toni? Topaz? As in the Serpent girl Jughead is friend with?”

“No.” Cheryl snapped. “Toni as in-”

“Is there a different Toni I don’t know about?”

“Let me finish, God.” Cheryl ducked her head into her knees. Veronica could barely make out what she was saying. “Toni as in my girlfriend, Toni.”

Veronica’s mouth flopped like a fish, her eyes comically wide.

“You can stop that immediately.”

“You and _Toni Topaz_? You guys are _thing_?”

“Yes.” Cheryl whispered.

“Oh my God, Cheryl!” Veronica leaped from her spot on the couch and wrapped her arms around Cheryl. “That’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you.”

“Really?” Cheryl spoke, her voice vulnerable. She shook like a leaf in Veronica’s arms.

Veronica pulled away and studied Cheryl’s face, noticing the tears streaking down it.

“Really.” Veronica said softly. “You deserve to be happy, Cheryl.”

Cheryl choked back a sob. “I’m not sure that matters anymore, Ronnie. I fucked it up.”

“Hey.” Veronica soothed, rubbing circles on her back. “Relationships take work. It won’t be picture perfect all the time. No matter what you did or didn’t do, I’m sure you can work it out with her.”

“You weren’t there. You didn’t see her face.”

“Okay. Then tell me about it. What happened?”

Cheryl took a deep breath in an effort to calm down. “I was upset. She slept over at Jughead’s last night and people were talking to her about it and I overreacted. I was hurt, because they thought she was his, but she’s not. She’s my girlfriend, and I couldn’t even shut it down.”

“Why couldn’t you shut it down?”

“I’m a coward.” Cheryl whispered. “I-I didn't think I was ready. To have everyone know about us. About me. Toni wanted to tell our friends, but I couldn’t even do that.”

“Cheryl.” Veronica said. “If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready. You shouldn’t feel pressured to come out, ever.”

“But Toni-”

“Toni should understand that.” Veronica interrupted. “Go on. What else happened?”

“We got into a fight. Normally, I’m the hot head and Toni is calming me down, but this was different. She wanted to know how much longer she’d be a secret. I told her that us sneaking around is all I could give her, and I think that really hurt her. She left, told me to call her when I could acknowledge her in public.”

Veronica was silent for a few moments.

“Well?”

“Sorry.” Veronica sighed. “I guess I’m just digesting. I think you both have things to apologize for.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“She shouldn’t have left you like that, but I understand why being kept an indefinite secret would hurt. It’s a complicated situation, Cheryl. There isn’t a clear solution.”

“Great.” Cheryl threw her hands into the air. “You should be a therapist, truly.”

“Okay, then let me give you some real advice. You need to go find Toni. Like, now. The longer you let this sit, the worse it’s going to get.”

“I can’t.” Cheryl mumbled. “Not right now. I need to...calm down first.”

“Okay then, let’s talk.” Veronica turned playful. “Tell me about her. How long have you two been together? Who made the first move?”

“It’s been three months. We met a little bit after the merge.” Cheryl felt herself go pink. “She made the first move.”

Veronica nearly burst into applause. “Oh my God. This is _too_ cute _._ Spill, like, now. How did you go from calling her ‘queen of the buskers’ to her being your beau?”

“Remember when you went up to that cabin one weekend? And I called Jughead to inform him of Archie and Betty’s little fling? Toni overheard. She was...unprecedented. I went full Bombshell on her and she barely batted an eyelash.”

“So you’re into tough girls?” Veronica wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Makes sense. It must take a strong will to worm your way into Cheryl Blossom’s heart.”

“Toni didn’t worm her way into my heart. She burst through the door without knocking.”

Veronica’s teasing expression morphed into something more tender. “You two really are good together. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.”

“She’s my rock, Veronica.” Cheryl leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “I was floating around aimlessly for so long, after JJ. I never had a reason to be attached to anything. I fucking need her. I need her like I need gravity.”

“Then go get her.” Veronica urged.

The thought terrified her. Getting up, brushing herself off and finding Toni. Could she really swallow her pride like that?

The answer occurred surprisingly easily to her.

It didn’t matter that they were fighting. wherever Toni was, Cheryl wanted to be there too.

But what if Toni didn’t want to see her? Would Cheryl be able to survive that?

“You’ll never know if you don’t make the effort.”

Shit. She’d said that out loud.

Cheryl picked herself up from the couch. “I’ll go. Fuck it.”

Veronica took her hand and squeezed it before releasing her. “Go get her, tiger.”

* * *

 Jesus Christ, this was pathetic.

If someone had told her six months ago that she would be parked outside the Whyte Wyrm agonizing over going in to apologize to a pink haired bartender she would have started a twitter barrage eviscerating them.

It was ridiculous. She was Cheryl Blossom. She said _jump_ and the town of Riverdale asked _how high_.

Who was Toni Topaz that she could bring Cheryl to her knees like this? It drove Cheryl up the fucking wall.

(Not really, though. There wasn’t a lot Toni could do to make Cheryl truly annoyed with her.)

Maybe Cheryl was a mean girl. After all, her first instinct at the drag race when she laid eyes on Toni was to insult her. She had wanted to punish Toni for making her do a double take.

That fucking confused half smile Toni had given her as Cheryl took her position made Cheryl ache to see the full version.

She hadn’t realized that Toni was shorter than her until the first day of the merger, and Cheryl was so bothered by how damn cute it was that the burning fire to get the Serpents and _Toni fucking Topaz_ out of her school grew tenfold.

It was possible Cheryl could have survived having Toni around if those were their only interactions. A pretty face was nothing, really. A dime a dozen.

But then, just as Cheryl was starting to get over her stupid little school girl crush, Toni had to go and turn out to be _good_. She was _sweet_ and _kind_ and _patient_ and all the things that Cheryl didn’t deserve.

Maybe that was why Cheryl didn’t want to share what they had with the world. Would Toni’s eyes be opened, would she see what everyone else surely would?

A demon had fallen in love with an angel. What a goddamn abomination.

Too make matters worse, her angel didn’t even seem to believe that Cheryl was a demon. In fact, she acted like she genuinely believed that Cheryl belonged to the heavens as well.

As convinced as Cheryl was that she was an evil spirit, she couldn’t bring herself to step foot into hell.

The Whyte Wyrm loomed dangerously through her windshield. The flickering white lights vaguely lit the inside of her car.

Jason had entered those doors and never came out. Was today the day it would take the remaining Blossom twin?

 _It’s just a building_. Cheryl tried to reassure herself. _JJ is gone now, by our father’s hands. Does the location of the deed really matter? Toni won’t let anything happen to me._

She reached for the door handle. The second her skin made contact, she jerked her hand back like she had been burned.

Maybe Toni was in that building, but Jason’s ghost was as well.

Cheryl pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

 She should have just sucked it up and gone into the bar.

Walking into her brother’s murder site would have been better than lying in bed at two a.m. longing for someone who didn’t want to see her.

There was a distant crashing sound. Cheryl knit her eyebrows. She didn’t think her mother had a client over. Should she have locked her door?

Thistlehouse turned eerily silent again, and Cheryl settled back into her pillows.

A loud thud against her window made Cheryl shriek and reach for the pepper spray in her drawer.

“I’m armed! I can have the sheriff here in two minutes, you robbing scum!” Cheryl called, now fully out of bed.

To her horror, the window ledge lifted up and a flash of black fell onto her floor.

“The cops aren’t necessary, Cher. Unless you’re still angry. Then I might need backup.”

“Toni?” Cheryl gasped.

The pink haired bundle on her floor sat up and brushed herself off.

“I could have stuck the landing better, but yeah.” Toni mumbled.

The next thing Cheryl knew, she was being enveloped between leather clad arms.

“I’m sorry.” Toni whispered. “I’m so, so, sorry, Cher. I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have pressured you. It was such a dick thing to do, and I can’t apologize enough.”

Cheryl buried her face in Toni’s hair, breathing in her perfume. “I should be apologizing to you.”

“What?” Toni breathed. “Cheryl, I was the one who fucked everything up. I yelled out you, and I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to be sorry. I fucked up too. We both said things we didn’t mean.”

“God, Cheryl. You should be angry with me. I hurt you. I did the exact thing I swore I wouldn’t do.”

Cheryl shook her head, not moving from Toni’s arms. “You were hurting, TT. I can’t be angry with you for that. And I am not innocent in this, not at all. I forgive you.”

“You...you forgive me?” Toni asked, sounding like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Unquestionably. Can you ever forgive me, as well?”

Toni pulled away and swooped Cheryl up into her arms, carrying her princess style to her bed. Cheryl giggled the whole way, the tension leaving the room with each laugh. Toni settled against the pillows, keeping Cheryl tight to her and resting her chin on the top of her head.

“I forgive you, no hesitation. Let’s just let this afternoon go. But I am gonna make you a promise, love.” Toni murmured. “I won’t leave in the middle of an argument again, ever. I care about you too much to treat you like that.”

Cheryl laughed softly. “You need to stop being so damn perfect. I swear, you were a Disney prince in another life.”

“Please, please never repeat that sentence to Sweet Pea or Fangs.”

“We’ll see.” Cheryl teased, but her expression quickly turned serious. “I’m going to promise you something too.”

“You don’t need to promise me anything.”

“Yes, I do.” Cheryl whispered. “I want to tell a few people about us.”

Toni’s breath hitched. “Cheryl, you don’t have to do that for me. It’s okay. If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready.”

“I told Veronica this afternoon.”

Toni felt her jaw drop. “You did?”

“I did.” Cheryl confirmed. “I needed someone to talk to, and she was willing.”

“How did it go?” Toni asked gently. Cheryl felt her heart swell at the tenderness in her voice.

“Well. Really well, in fact. It felt nice.”

“I’m glad, but telling Veronica is one thing. Telling other people might be harder.”

Cheryl swallowed. “I know. That’s why it’ll only be a small number for now. Veronica, Archie by association, Jughead, Kevin, Josie, Fangs, and Sweet Pea. It shouldn’t be only the Northsider’s who know.”

Toni felt her throat go dry. “Cheryl…”

“I’m not a total saint, don’t be mistaken. I don’t want cousin Betty to know, Jughead be damned. I don’t trust her.”

“Okay, then. Betty’s out.”

“Betty’s out.” Cheryl confirmed.

“How do you want to tell them?”

Cheryl turned on her side, throwing her arm around Toni’s waist. She tangled their legs together and snuggled into Toni’s neck.

“Let’s just be us.” Cheryl mumbled. “I don’t need words to tell them you’re mine.”

Toni sighed contently. “Sounds perfect.”

(Sweet Pea would never let Toni live this down. Toni really couldn’t care less.)


End file.
